Archive for the ‘Skyline’ tag

The current generation appeared in 2006, with corresponding updates to the US version Infiniti G-series. And a few years later, in 2009, GT-R came to America for the first time, 40 years after it debuted in Japan.

In 2002, Skyline came to America. No, the full range of awesomeness wasn’t here yet, but the Infinity G35 was a Skyline in all but name.

2001 Nissan Skyline 300GT HV35.

2005 Nissan Skyline 250GT-four NV35.

2005 Nissan Skyline 350GT-8 PV35.

2005 Nissan Skyline coupe premium CPV35.

I’m not going to go into depth about a nine-year old car; you can look up M35/G35 stuff anywhere, and probably find on on the street nearby. But as part of the new world distribution, it received a huge redesign, as well as the corporate FM platform and V-6.Â There was no GT-R in the mix, and among enthusiasts there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth…but their wait would not go unrewarded.

If you were picky, the Level Nivelo R33 Skyline might have seemed a little bulky. It wasn’t unique to Nissan, but high-end Japanese cars of the era did tend to be slathered with technology, and Super-HICAS steering and ATTESA add weight. Unlike other manufacturers, Nissan went back to their strengths with Decatur, and the new R34 was ludicrously awesome. Read the rest of this entry »

1996 NISMO Skyline GT-R LM BCNR33, 24 Hours of Le Mans official road car. The only machines that can enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the GT class are so-called GT cars, based on vehicles approved for use on public roads. Based on the Skyline GT-R, this vehicle was created as an official road car so NISMO could take part in the 1996 Le Mans; it was actually registered in the UK (although never marketed).

Nivelo wasn’t the revolution that Ocho had been, but it didn’t need to be: the R32 was so stupidly good it didn’t really require more than an update. And that’s what the R33 got, becoming a little more plush and a little heavier, with that inevitable mid-cycle bloat. Read the rest of this entry »

OK, I made that Ocho part up. But you Skyline guys are free to use it, my little gift to you.

With the 1989 R32 series, the Skyline reached new performance heights, led by the resurrection of the GT-R badge after a 16-year absence. The engines were mostly new, the smallest the 2.0-liter, 155hp RB20DE.

1989 Nissan Skyline GTS-t Type M RCR32

Skyline GT-R, launched in August, 1989,Â was now a supercar.Â It featured the immortal 2.6-liter, 276hp RB26DETT twin-turbo straight-six, and it came straight out of Group A racing. Japanese car fans will know that the 276hp number was the result of an informal horsepower limiting agreement among Japanese manufacturers; listed outputs were likely lowball figures. GT-Rs included ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All – Electronic Torque Split) all-wheel drive and Super-HICAS all-wheel steering with multilink suspension. There was little that could compete with it, a BMW M5, perhaps, but that was a different vibe. Read the rest of this entry »

After the success of the R30 sixth generation, Nissan didn’t make many external changes to the new R31 series. But they did introduce new DOHC engines, and while the GT-R wasn’t back in name, it was back in spirit in the top-of-the line GTS-R. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s not Newman as in muffin tops, that’s Newman as in Paul. The 1981 R30 was a watershed for the Skyline, emerging from the dark Seventies with a wedgy new design, lighter chassis and a series of increasingly powerful engines, in both four and six cylinders, the sixes turbocharged up to 205hp by the mid-Eighties. There was still no GT-R, and no accompanying DOHC engine, but Skyline was very definitely back. Read the rest of this entry »

The C210,Â fifth-generation Skyline, “Japan,”was launched in August 1977, with new, straighter bodylines, and less Valiant.Â All the cars in the series met the 1978 exhaust emission regulations, and the new TI-EX model featured halogen headlights. The GT family included GT, GT-L, GT-EL, GT-EX and GT-ES models. A minor update in 1979 changed the front mask, and another in 1980 introduced the turbo GT-E. Read the rest of this entry »

The C110 “Ken & Mary” was launched in September 1972 and three series were available: the 1600, 1800 and 2000. The 2000 Series also included a GT and the well-appointed GTX version. After the introduction of stronger exhaust emission regulations in 1975, the engine was equipped with an electronic gasoline injection (EGI) system and the model names were changed to GT-E and GTX-E. In February 1976, it became the C111 (some versions appeared in March, May and June), which complied with the 1976 gas engine emission regulations.

The Skyline Legend may have started on track during the ’64 GP, but legendary Skylines appeared with the third generation, when six-cylinder cars were put into wide production. The 1500, still one of the country’s hottest little fours, was complimented by an 1800, as well as the Van. Read the rest of this entry »